English Google SEO office-hours from October 2, 2020

TL;DR

John Mueller addresses SEO queries from webmasters.

Transcript

JOHN MUELLER: All right, welcome, everyone, to today's Google SEO Office Hours Hangout. It's not Hangout anymore. I guess the Hangout part we'll have to drop at some point, but Google SEO Office Hours, I guess. I'm John Mueller. I am a search advocate here at Google in Switzerland. And part of what we do are these Hangouts, office hours, I guess, s... Read More

Key Insights

• John Mueller emphasizes the importance of understanding changes in Google Search Console data, suggesting a deep dive into specific examples to interpret impressions and clicks.
• For medical-related queries, Google's algorithms prioritize authoritative sites, and improving site expertise, authority, and trust can help in rankings.
• Mobile-first indexing uses mobile versions for ranking, regardless of user traffic source, highlighting the importance of mobile optimization.
• A site redesign may lead to a re-evaluation of site quality by Google's algorithms, potentially affecting rankings.
• Breadcrumbs structured data can enhance search result displays but do not directly impact SEO rankings.
• Canonical tags should point to themselves for multilingual sites to ensure proper indexing of all language versions.
• Backlinks remain a significant factor in rankings, but overall site quality and relevance are crucial for top positions.
• AMP pages can improve mobile speed, but regular HTML pages may suffice if they achieve similar performance and are not reliant on AMP-specific features.

Questions & Answers

Q: How can changes in Google Search Console data be interpreted?

John Mueller recommends drilling down into specific examples of changes in impressions and clicks. This involves analyzing specific pages or queries to understand shifts in performance, such as more competitive queries or changes in user search behavior, to improve site positioning.

Q: What should be done if a site experiences a drop in rankings post-redesign?

Mueller suggests that a redesign may lead to a re-evaluation of site quality by Google's algorithms. He advises checking for technical issues, such as changes in internal linking or JavaScript implementation, and ensuring the site maintains high-quality content.

Q: How does Google handle mobile-first indexing for desktop-focused sites?

For sites on mobile-first indexing, Google uses the mobile version for ranking, regardless of user traffic source. For desktop-only products, Mueller suggests ensuring the mobile version is equivalent to the desktop site or focusing on a responsive design if mobile traffic is minimal.

Q: What is the impact of using breadcrumbs structured data?

Breadcrumbs structured data can enhance search result displays by showing a breadcrumb trail, making navigation easier for users. However, they do not impact SEO rankings directly. The HTML breadcrumbs help with internal linking, aiding crawling and user navigation.

Q: How should canonical tags be used on multilingual websites?

Canonical tags should point to themselves for each language version to ensure proper indexing. Hreflang annotations can be used to specify language versions, either in the page head or sitemap, ensuring Google indexes all language versions individually.

Q: Are backlinks still important for web ranking?

Backlinks are a significant factor in rankings, but they are not the sole determinant. Overall site quality, relevance, and content are crucial. Google's algorithms consider multiple factors, and having more backlinks does not guarantee higher rankings if other aspects are lacking.

Q: Can fragment identifiers optimize for rich features snippets?

Fragment identifiers, or URLs with hash signs, are ignored for indexing purposes. They do not directly impact rich features snippets. Google uses them for navigation within a page, but they do not affect how content is indexed or ranked.

Q: What is the role of AMP pages in mobile optimization?

AMP pages can improve mobile speed and are necessary for certain search features. However, if regular HTML pages achieve similar speed and performance, they may suffice. AMP is beneficial for embedding in AMP viewers, but not mandatory if speed can be achieved otherwise.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• John Mueller discusses various aspects of SEO, including changes in Google Search Console data, emphasizing the need to analyze specific examples to understand impressions and clicks better.

• The session covers the importance of mobile-first indexing, where mobile versions are used for ranking regardless of user traffic source, highlighting the need for mobile optimization.

• Backlinks continue to be a significant factor in rankings, but overall site quality and relevance are crucial for securing top positions in search results.